The King

Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Step-mother or future dragon problem

Percy's POV

"We will never make it," Zoe said. "We are moving too slowly. But we cannot leave the Ophiotaurus."

"Mooo," Bessie said. She swam next to me as we jogged along the waterfront. We'd left the shopping centre pier far behind. We were heading toward the Golden Gate Bridge, but it was a lot farther than I'd realised. The sun was already dipping in the west.

"I don't get it," I said. "Why do we have to get there at sunset?"

"The Hesperides are the nymphs of the sunset," Zoe said. "We can only enter their garden as day changes to night."

"What happens if we miss it?"

"Tomorrow is the winter solstice. If we miss sunset tonight, we will have to wait until tomorrow evening. And by then, the Olympian Council will be over. We must free Lady Artemis tonight."

Or Annabeth will be dead, I thought, but I didn't say that.

"We need a car," Thalia said.

"But what about Bessie?" I asked.

Grover stopped in his tracks. "I've got an idea! The Ophiotaurus can appear in different bodies of water, right?"

"Well, yeah," I said. "I mean, she was in Long Island Sound. Then she just popped into the water at Hoover Dam. And now she's here."

"So maybe I could coax her back to Long Island Sound," Grover said. "Then Chiron could help us get him to Olympus."

"Or I can take you two there myself?" I asked him.

I normally vapour-travelled and I haven't tried teleporting from one large body of water to another.

'It shouldn't be so hard right'

'Spread your awareness underwater and mix it with the feeling of being in a body of water where you've once been, it should work '

"Oh, I forgot your abilities didn't make sense" Grover had given up trying to understand my powers.

"What about our quest?" Zoe asked as I shrugged and grabbed Grover diving into the water to hold Bessie while saying "Relax, it won't even take up to 20 seconds."

While talking, Me, Grover and Bessie slowly became clear like water.

"New skill unlocked, Water travelling," I muttered as I started to feel the effects of the ability

"It feels like that time I mistakenly ate weed." Grover looked at his hand, which turned to water, he felt lighter and strangely clear-headed before he vanished, and his form dropped into the water like a small wave.

Zoe looked at Thalia but Thalia shrugged not knowing what to say 'It's Percy anyway'

Ten seconds later, the water stirred and stretched out, water followed from the sea and slowly formed a humanoid figure made of water in between Thalia and Zoe, a couple of seconds later the water solidified and slowly gained human features and complexion then Percy stood amidst them.

"I dropped them off at the pool back in my cabin"

I clarified before asking a question "Now shall we continue?"

Well, that is one problem addressed," Zoe said. "But how can we get to my sisters' garden?"

"Thalia's right," I said. "We need a car. But there's nobody to help us here. Unless we stole one."

I didn't like that option. I mean, sure this was a life-or-death situation, but still, it was stealing, I had left my mom in a hurry otherwise I would have gotten my credit card, I had enough in there to buy a separate supercar for the three of us if needed.